Case studies

Strategic Communication for Behaviour and Social Change in South Asia

[2005] South Asia has a long tradition of using communication to promote development goals. Communication approaches have been variously used for promoting immunization, prevention of diarrhoeal dehydration and HIV/AIDS, female literacy, among others. These have been in the form of mass media campaigns, radio programs, posters, street plays and localized outreach through communities and NGOs. This working paper presents a synthesis of experiences in applying various communication approaches ranging from

Application of ICTs for Climate Adaptation in the Water Sector: Developing Country Experiences

[2012] Adaptation to contexts of water stress is often a mix of climate-consequential responses and responses to social, economic, political and cultural fluxes. Information and communications technologies (ICTs) have proven useful in tailoring responses to situations arising out of the climate-water nexus in the developing world. ICTs are increasingly being adopted as key tools for data collection, decision support and improved communication networks. This publication brought out by the International

Comunicación para el Desarrollo. Experiencias y Enfoques en Uruguay

[2011] This publication summarizes the unique experience of the community listeners’ clubs set up in Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo by FAO-Dimitra, a participatory information and communication project which contributes to improving the visibility of rural populations, women in particular. The first chapter offers a brief overview of the community listeners’ clubs, their goals and internal functioning and the results achieved. The second chapter tells the story of

The New Age of Radio. How ICTs are Changing Rural Radio in Africa

[2011] Despite rapid gains in information and communications technology (ICT) worldwide, radio stations in Africa have largely not had access to integrated mobile phone technology, desktop editing, portable recording, computers, or access to the internet. As part of a 42-month action research program called The African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI), Farm Radio International (FRI) partnered with 25 radio stations in five African countries to implement a series of ICT

Sustainable Development Content for Community Radio Stations in Africa

[2004] Community radio is based on the principles of community development and community participation. Therefore the main commitment and mandate for community radio stations is to actively involve community members and ensure programming on themes that will contribute to the development of the communities they serve. This report, published by AMARC and Panos, is an account of data/information collected from community radio stations in Africa to assess their experiences with

Making Waves: Stories of Participatory Communication for Social Change

[2001] This is a collection of stories where participatory communication has led to social change, ranging from bush radios to street theatre and local telecentres. The book forms part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Communication for Social Change initiative. The 50 case studies show how people living in poor communities across the world can potentially seize control of their own life stories and begin to change their marginal and unjust circumstances.

Indigenous Voices in Asia-Pacific

[2012] This report presents the highlights of five country assessments undertaken between 2009-2011 to identify the communication and information needs of indigenous peoples in Asia-Pacific. The assessments used a participatory and inclusive approach to analyze major development issues faced by indigenous peoples. They considered media and communication landscapes – encompassing freedom of expression and information, the safety of journalists, and community media, particularly radio – and how different factors facilitate

Climate Change Communication Strategy

The purpose of this document is to develop a more systematic and effective approach to communicating climate change in West Sussex. The document draws on the experiences and lessons learned through climate change awareness raising projects in West Sussex, particularly those undertaken as part of the EU funded ESPACE (European Spatial Planning: Adapting to Climate Events) project, as well as DEFRA’s (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) National Climate

Forging Innovations: Community Multimedia Centres in Nepal

[2007] This collection of case studies intends to showcase the diverse growth of three Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) supported by Unesco in Nepal since 2003, in an effort to understand their social impact.  The case studies show how local communities accessed and utilised newly available ICT tools in different ways. The authors carried out field visits to interview managers, staff, local researchers, community reporters, volunteers and community people. This allowed

Community Radio in Bangladesh: Achievements and Challenges

[2012] This publications collects the experience of 14 community radio stations currently on air in Bangladesh. It maps the achievements and challenges faced by these radio stations since their launch. Among the main challenges are generating financial resources and ensuring community partnership and spontaneous people’s participation. This  book, published by the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), is useful for the community media activist, policy makers, academia and